Grading the 2029 Offensive Position Groups

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2029 class is in the spotlight, and after we've wrapped up&nbsp;<a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/06/2029-stock-risers-back-seven-defenders/">stock-risers</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/06/newly-ranked-2029-wrs/">newly-ranked players</a>, we wanted to approach the class from a big-picture view. After going&nbsp;<a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/06/behind-the-scenes-of-the-2029-rankings-spring/">behind the scenes</a>&nbsp;of the update, I'm grading each position group for top talent, depth, and potential.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It can be helpful to look at the class as a whole—where its strengths, weaknesses, and depth lie—to get an idea of where schools might have the best chance to focus their recruiting efforts. After looking at the <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/06/grading-the-2029-defensive-position-groups/">defense</a>, we'll look at the offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Grading the 2029 Offensive Position Groups</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Quarterbacks: C</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The Numbers:&nbsp;</strong>11 ranked, two Top 25, four Top 50</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Highest Ranked:</strong>&nbsp;<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1048930' first='Brody' last='Lowe']</strong> (No. 3 overall), Grimsley</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Strongest Level:&nbsp;</strong>TBD</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thanks to deeper classes ahead of them, North Carolina had the fewest number of freshman quarterback starters I've seen since covering the state a decade and a half ago.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2029 class also lost its top passer, as he reclassified to the 2028 class. There are still several highly-touted passers, but we haven't done complete evaluations yet, and it's too early to tell ultimately who ends up atop the class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That said, two guys in particular have the early lead. Lowe is a lefty from Grimsley who took over when our top 2026 passer went down with an injury. He actually outplayed the Power Four recruit, throwing for 2,200 yards and 23 touchdowns.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2003772' first='Tyson' last='Douglas-Brown']</strong> is a dual-threat passer out of Corvian Community, and I'm intrigued by his upside, especially as a runner. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Further down the list, West Forsyth's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1151256' first='Levi' last='Morales']</strong> and new East Forsyth passer <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2123450' first='Ahmad' last='Francis']</strong> have both impressed us at times this offseason with strong arms and good movement skills.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Perhaps most intriguing is Parkland passer <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2126984' first='Marsaun' last='Byrd-McCoy']</strong>, who at 6-foot-6, 185 has a rocket for an arm, but is raw. The upside of this class could very well be determined by how he develops from a mechanical perspective. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are several guys with FBS upside, but it all comes down to development.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Running Backs: B+</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The Numbers:&nbsp;</strong>18 ranked, four Top 25, seven Top 50</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Highest Ranked:</strong>&nbsp;<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1858055' first='Mike' last='McLean']</strong> (No. 1 overall), Scotland County</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Strongest Level:&nbsp;</strong>FCS/Group of Five</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's not at all uncommon to see a strong running back class early, as that's a position where we typically see plenty of talent thrive early.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It helps to have the top player in the class, and McLean already boasts several FBS offers. He's already a star, and he could have a massive sophomore year. I don't see a world in which McLean slips far, and he has a chance to be a wire-to-wire No. 1 player.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Because of that, I'm just as intrigued by some of the names further down the list, and I think we'll have lots of movement in the coming rankings cycles.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1905611' first='Jonas' last='Woods']</strong> (Shelby) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2003814' first='Haze' last='Dodson']</strong> (Lake Norman Charter) played a ton as freshmen, and depending on how they grow, they could be top backs. North Stanly's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1969750' first='RJ' last='Brooks']</strong> joined those three at the top of the freshman yardage ranks, and he already has an FBS offer to his name.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I'm interested to see if three smaller guys grow, and if so, how much. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1905582' first='Khalin' last='Rogers']</strong> (Clayton), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1868522' first='Xavier' last='Frazier']</strong> (Salisbury), and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2155410' first='Liam' last='Watson']</strong> (Robinson) have all impressed us with their movement. How they develop physically will go a long way towards determining their respective ceilings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Wide Receivers: B-</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The Numbers:&nbsp;</strong>16 ranked, three Top 25, six Top 50</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Highest Ranked:</strong>&nbsp;<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2072205' first='Mason' last='Pearsall-Brown']</strong> (No. 18 overall), Hough</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Strongest Level:&nbsp;</strong>DII/FCS</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The wide receiver class is hurt by a lack of elite, top-end prospects. However, there are several exciting prospects in the group, slightly further down the rankings. While Pearsall-Brown was behind several talented guys on Hough's depth chart, he has Power Four offers to his name.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If you include Green Level's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1853129' first='Derek' last='Monroe']</strong>, ranked as an athlete, the picture looks a bit better. We've picked up some Power Four chatter for the versatile receiver and return man.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There's some intriguing size in this class, with GRACE Christian's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1857981' first='Christopher' last='White']</strong> standing at 6-foot-4 and guys like <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2129288' first='Luke' last='Untereker']</strong> (Hickory Ridge), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2220450' first='Jamere' last='Little']</strong> (Jay M. Robinson), and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1870841' first='Zion' last='Caesar']</strong> (Ballantyne Ridge) measuring over six feet tall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We also have some electric smaller guys, much like the 2027 class. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2005242' first='Jordan' last='Davis']</strong> (Grimsley), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2003826' first='Cainin' last='Glover']</strong> (Eastern Randolph), and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1631111' first='Amari' last='Sumner']</strong> (West Craven), in particular, are top-50 prospects in our rankings. Davis and Glover were among the state's leading receivers, while Sumner played all over the field and is thriving in 7-on-7 this offseason.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Overall, it's a really good class, even if there isn't one individual superstar. Of course, new guys will pop up at the position over the next two and a half years, as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Offensive Line: A</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The Numbers:&nbsp;</strong>18 ranked, four Top 25, five Top 50</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Highest Ranked:</strong>&nbsp;<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2072220' first='Amir' last='Daniels']</strong> (No. 2 overall), Millbrook</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Strongest Level:&nbsp;</strong>High-FCS/FBS</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In recent years, there's been one position per class that is obviously elite from the start. For the 2029 class, it's the offensive line.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/whelms21/status/2061462714103345192?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"x","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/whelms21/status/2061462714103345192?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This class actually lost two of its previous top four to out-of-state transfers, and it's still excellent. The most impressive thing to me is the number of height-weight-speed guys there are. Typically, most young offensive line prospects are undersized, slow, or lack basic fundamentals, meaning we have to look far in the future.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This class is full of maulers—not just guys who are "good for their age," but guys who are flat-out good.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We saw <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='865972' first='Jackson' last='Jenkins']</strong> before his freshman year and were impressed. Then his freshman film dropped, and we immediately knew we had a Power Four guy. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2072220' first='Amir' last='Daniels']</strong> (Millbrook) went from "high-upside prospect" to elite player in about six games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This class has several true center prospects, which is nice to see. In addition to Jenkins, Christ School's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1925988' first='Scotty' last='Hicks']</strong> started the entire season at center.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are also some true "high-upside guys," several of whom have early varsity experience. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1301382' first='Landon' last='Delk']</strong> has put on a lot of good weight after playing some early. Guys like <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1993558' first='Gabriel' last='Hubbard']</strong> (Wake Prep) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1677157' first='Quentin' last='Miller']</strong> (Union Academy) played early and flashed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>High-upside tackles <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2147726' first='Immanuel' last='Miller']</strong> (Rolesville) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2209990' first='Walter' last='Patrick']</strong> (Jay M. Robinson) are intriguing prospects who could rise later. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Top-to-bottom, it's a great class, and I'm excited to see it develop.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Tight End: TBD</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The Numbers:&nbsp;</strong>Three Ranked</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Highest Ranked:</strong>&nbsp;<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2099358' first='Nate' last='Harrison']</strong> (No. 87 overall), North Stokes</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Strongest Level:&nbsp;</strong>TBD</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The tight end class, unsurprisingly, is an incomplete evaluation right now. It always is for early classes. When I graded the 2028 class <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/06/grading-the-2028-offensive-position-groups/">at this time last year</a>, I didn't even include the tight ends. Now, <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/05/grading-the-2028-offensive-position-groups-2/">that class</a> has four Top 150 prospects.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are three ranked tight ends, two of whom were recently added. Harrison has some early production, while Grimley's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2220823' first='Ty' last='Pugh']</strong> and Stuart Cramer's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2220829' first='Kelly' last='Bridges Jr'].</strong> are high-upside prospects playing for coaches who know how to utilize athletic in-line tight ends.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Not only will more tight ends join this class, but I expect an offensive lineman or two and a couple of receivers to eventually switch positions. Stay tuned!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Disagree with my grades? Let me know your thoughts on Twitter/X (<a href="https://x.com/whelms21">@whelms21</a>)</em>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->